Traditional white weddings may be giving way to green weddings in the years to come. Clay Hill Farm, an award winning restaurant and wedding venue in Maine, is holding a green wedding giveaway for the second year in a row now. The contest, which opened in late October, will yield to the winning couple of a July wedding for up to 100 guests, free of charge. Most of the components of the wedding will be locally obtained such as the flowers, cake, music, invitations and even the honeymoon. The Clay Hill Farm Green Wedding Giveaway was the first contest of its kind that draws a parallel between devotion to a spouse and devotion to the environment.
 

The idea for the giveaway grew out of a need to discover the meaning of “green” and how the term applies to Clay Hill. In March of 2008 the restaurant was recognized as an Environmental Leader by the state. To Jennifer Lewis-McShera, manager and co-owner, the certification demanded action: how could Clay Hill show its green hue and inspire the community to commit to the environment? The Green Wedding Giveaway, which celebrates a lifelong commitment to love and to the environment, was the answer! Sometimes people get cold feet about going green, but Lewis-McShera does not believe that it has to be an intimidating prospect. “Weddings are about traditional values and family and what many people don’t realize is that going green is too.” Many people have been participating in green practices for years without understanding how they are making a difference. Composting, recycling and buying organic foods are all little things anybody can do to impact the environment, and that is what the competition is all about. “We are all green in some way. So, pick your shade and shout it to the world,” is the tagline of the giveaway.
 

In the application couples are asked to tell their story and how “green” is a part of their life or how it could become a part of their life. All competing couples must submit an essay, a photo or video, and a creative expression of the project message by January 1, 2010. In last year’s competition the winning couple wrote a song about their relationship as the creative component and another finalist couple constructed a wedding dress out of recycled magazines. A panel of judges will determine the five finalist couples to be revealed at a bridal show in Portsmouth on January 10. The judges will not be deciding the finalists based on a measurement of green, but on the couples’ passion for taking a stand on the environment and for each other. As Jonathan Blakeslee of last year’s winning couple said, “Stay true to yourself and you will shine.”
Once the five finalist couples have been determined they will compete with each other for public votes and the grand prize. The couples are encouraged to campaign for their green wedding through social networking and posting ads in newspapers and on the internet. On January 10 the voting will commence and the public will have the opportunity to decide which couple wins the wedding. Last year, 14,000 votes were submitted from around the world and the majority called for the winning couple to be Jonathan Blakeslee and Joelle Guerard of Eliot, Maine.
 

On April 22, 2010 the winners of the contest will be asked to host an Earth Day event at Clay Hill. Jonathan and Joelle created an event called Clay Hill Unplugged with acoustic musicians doused in candlelight and local green businesses. The Earth Day event this year may have a different flavor depending on the tastes of the new couple.
 

Finally on Sunday, July 11, 2010 the big day will arrive after five months of competition. Experienced professionals will help the couple prepare for their wedding and work to cater to the couple’s vision. Most of the components of the wedding are donations from local sponsors including services such as video recording. The first winning couple, Jonathan and Joelle, was very pleased with their grand prize. They chose to have a simplistic wedding with locally grown food to express their love of local farmers’ markets.
 

The Green Wedding Giveaway is not about being 100% “green.” It is about being conscientious and making whatever small contributions are possible towards a better environment and a better future. Weddings are a celebration of commitment and a time to cherish family and the world we live in.
 

Good luck competing couples!
 

For more information on the Clay Hill Farm’s Green Wedding Giveaway visit http://www.greenweddinggiveaway.com/index.html
 

For more information on Clay Hill Farm visit http://www.clayhillfarm.com/index.php